Valve.



E. E. ROSE.

VALVE.

APPucATloN FILED Nov. l2.. |915.

Patented Apr. 24,1917.

mvENroR` Edward E. Roa@ l//AIA WITNESSES l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD lE. ROSE, F SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB T0 WESTINGHOUBE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTIIRING COMPANY, A CORPORATION QF PENNSYLVANIA.

Application ledNovember 12, 1915. Serial No. 61,085.

To all whom it may concern.' i

Be it known that l, EDWARD E. ROSE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Swissvale, in the county ot' Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Valves, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to valves, and it has for its objectto provide a device of the character indicated `that shall have few, simple and easily manufactured working parts and that shall be adapted to form an extremely tight closure in a fluid passage and to maintain said closure in spite of rough treatment.

The single figure of the accompanying i drawing is a side view, in section, of a valve embodying a preferred form of my invention,tog ether with associated auxiliary apparatus.'

In the use of large vapor-arc converters, especiallyof the metal-case type and. of al-v lied formsl of4 apparatus, it is essential that means be provided wherebyT an evacuating pump may be connected to, and'disconnected from, the interior of the container. The ordinary valve is unsuitable for maintaining the extremely high degree of vacuum required inaapparatus of the character indicated and, accordingly, valves have been developed wherein a mechanical closure within the exhausting tube may be sealed by mercury or other sealing fluid', as shown, for eX# ample, in the patent to Sakai No. 1,001,455,

and in mycopending applicati-on, Serial No. V39,363, tiled July 12, 1915,l (Gase No. 4468) both assi ned to the Westinghouse. Electric 8g. Manu aeturing Company.

' I have found that under exceptional eir- V .40. cumstances, such, for example, as in railway `-\yvorlc, absolute dependence may not be `l'l-aceil upon a sealing fluid of the character indicated because of .the violent agitation to which alie-...apparatus is subjected.. According to the present invention, I substitute for the said sealing fluid a massl of solder or other suitable impervious readily fusible material and, furthermore, I associate with said sealing material a heating 'souroewhere-v by the same may be readily' fused when it iiieans, the valve may be sealed by said .material when in a fused condition and said Patent Patented Apr. 24, 191.7,l

material may then be ,permittedto solidify, f

thus. forming an extremely tight closure which may be subjected to violent agitation without permitting leakage therethrough,`

Referring to the drawing for a more detailed understanding of my invention, I show a portion of the Wall of a vapor co'nverter or other closed container at 1.y vertically disposed tube 2 is welded, or lothverwise tightlyV sealed in the Wall 1 and is provided with an enlarged portion 3 communieating` with a tube .4 leading to a pump or other apparatus. .A sleeve 5 is seated within the tube 2 and extends above the shoulder 6, thus providing an 'annular trough 7 in which is disposed `a .mass of readily fusible impereious material, such, for example, as solder. Any suitable-means may be provided for melting said, materl'al,v

such, for example, as a burner 8 or a suiti ablylocated electric heating coil. A cap 9 surmounts the upper end of the -tube 5 and is supported from an armature member 10 adapted to eoaet with a solenoid 11 surrounding the member 3. The cap member 9 is preferably provided with small notches'12 in the loweredgegthereof, and the armature 10 is provided With-algas passage` 13 to. facilitate the How oi material through the device.

'Having thus-descrlbed the structure of my` valve, the operation is as follows: As shown, the solenoid 11 is energizedl from a suitable soureelll and draws up the armature 10, raising the cap member 9 and providing a free passage between the container. 1 and the tube 4, viathe sleeve 5, thence beneath the loweredge of the cap 9 andupwardly through the opening 13 Aand the interior of the armature 10. If said free passage is to be maintained for along period of time, as, for example;- 'during' extended pumping,`the sealing lluid 7 may be permitted to solidi-y,and the solenoid 11 be den,

ergized', "whereupon the lower `edge .of the 'cap member 9 will rest upon the upper surface of the material 7, and gas will flow is desired to operate the valve. By this desired' to close the-'valve, the material "f freely through the notches 12. vWhen' Vit is preferably employ solder or other followed. The material 7 Wil may be heated to the fusing point, whereupon the weight of the cap member 9 and thel armature l10 will cause'the former to ,descend into the material 7 to completely "submerge the notches 12.

it, whereupon the material 7 may be perifoitted to solidify andthe cap member '9 allowed to rest on the up er surface thereof.

. While there is .a wi e ran e of material available for use as a solidi iiig'agent, I similar as contains small bismuth which will alloy, particularly. such portions of antimony or cause said material to expand slightly when 2lil 'solidifying, thus provi tight closure.-

- The cap member Q and the tubular meinber 3 are preferably composed of nommagnetic materia-l in order to facilitate the a'ction of the solenoid .11 and I find copper ing an extremely to be especially adapted for use in this connection, as it readily adheres to'alloys of the character described in the production lof a tight closure.

While I have described my invention in its preferred form, it will be lobvious to those skilled in the art that it is susceptible of various other minor changes and modiications without departing from the spirit thereof and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon is noti-Maporizablefat"ordinary temperatures,I

as (are imposed by the prior art or indicated in the .appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

V1. The combinationwith a tube, of means for providing a mechanical closure therein,

and a mass of readily fusible solid material arranged to seal said closurewhen in the closed position, said :sealing material being non-vaporizable und" r high vacuum at ordinary temperatures. i'

2. The combination-"with a tube, of means vfor' .provid.ii i a 'mechanical closureA therein, .and a mass o readily'-fusible alloyarranged the closed posimassof readily undef highvaciiuinf.l

1 4. Sea ing means for a. valve comprising fusible alloy. A .5..Bealn ,'eans 'for a valve comprising a mass-of so der.

p'lhe combination with a valve, of sealineens therefor` comprising a mass of l .usible alloyandietaining means ser andan@ when fused.

said tube, and means eiend ofsaid tube, a mass of rounding the upper n 4"impervious cap surmounting said ytube and lower ledge incased'in said seal-- 7. The combination with a valve, of seal` i tically extending tube having an open upper end, of a mass of readily fusible alloy surrounding tlie upper portion thereof, an impervious cap fitting over the upper end of said tube, and means for causing relative movement of saidalloy when fused and of said cap, w ereby the lower edge of said cap may be submerged and passage through said tube be closed.

9; In a valve, tically extending tube having an open upper end, of a mass of readily fusible alloy sur rounding the upper portion thereof, an impervious cap fitting over the upper end of for raising and lowering said cap relatively to said alloy when fused, whereby the lower edge of said cap may be submerged. and the passage through said tube be closed.

10. In a valve, vertically extending tube having an open upper end, of a casing surrounding the upper end of said tube, a mass of readily fusible alloy contained in said casing and sur rounding the upper end of said tube, an impervious cap surmounting said tube and having its lower edge incased in said sealing material, and means for then raising said cap yto provide a-passage between the louer edge thereof and said sealing materia 11. In a valve, the combination with a vertically extending tube having an open upper end, of a casing surrounding the upper end of said tube2 a mass of readily fusi ble alloy contained in said casing and surrounding the upper end of said tube, an impervious cap surmounting said tube and having its lower edge incased in' said sealing material, and means -exterior to said casing for then lraising said ca to'provide a passage between 'the iower'e' ge thereof and said sealing material.`

l2. In. a' valve, the combination with a vertically'I extending tube having 'an open upper end,of a casing surrounding the uple4 alloy contained in said casin and surend of sai tube, an

havingits Y ing material, an armature of magnetic material attached to said cap, and af'solenoid exterior to said casing for actuatingl said armature, whereby said cap is raised and an opening formed ybetween the lower edge thereof and said alloy.

13. Sealing means for a valve comprising the combination with a ver- Y the combination with a iso l. mass of l'eadilj7 fusible solid material which expands when solidiyng.

" .,14. Sealing-means for a valve comprising nI-majss Tof readily fusible alloy whlch lex- -5- ,Plllds w'hesolidifying.

15.- Sealing means for a valve comprising e .I hnssof solder which expands when solidi-v i V 16 "Sealingmeens for e valve comprising i e mass ofsolder'which contei'ns constituents 10 -eausin it to expand when solidiying.

17. ealing means for a. Valve comprising a mass of readily fusible metal.

In testimonyfwhereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th dey of Oct., 15

EDWARD EQ ROSE. 

